Argentine Ornithology, Volume 1 (of 2): A descriptive catalogue of the birds of the Argentine Republic. — John Shaqi
Argentine Ornithology, Volume 1 (of 2): A descriptive catalogue of the birds of the Argentine Republic.Hudson, W. H. (William Henry)
Science
Argentine Ornithology, Volume 1 (of 2): A descriptive catalogue of the birds of the Argentine Republic.
Hudson, W. H. (William Henry)
Birds -- Argentina
As regards the second order, Macrochires, the Argentine Avifauna
is notably deficient on account of the comparative scarcity of
Humming-birds. Although eleven species of this remarkable group have
been met with within our limits, the great mass of the Trochilidæ,
which are now known to number some 400 species, belong to the Tropics.
The Swifts are also scantily represented by a single species. The
Caprimulgidæ are comparatively more abundant, but slightly below the
average in number of species.
The Argentine Woodpeckers enumerated in the present work are thirteen in
number, but several of those are somewhat doubtful species, and others
only occur in the extreme northern limits of the Republic. On the whole
we may say that the _Pici_ are decidedly deficient in Argentina.
Nine families of the fourth order, Coccyges, are included in the
Neotropical Avifauna, but of these only five are represented in the
Argentine Ornis--the Motmots, Todies, Jacamars, and Barbets being
entirely wanting. The Trogons, Puff-birds, and Toucans are also
essentially Tropical forms, and have but one or two representatives
on the northern outskirts of the Republic; so that the Cuckoos and
Kingfishers are the only two families of Coccyges which play any
material _rôle_ in the Argentine Ornis.
Of the order of Parrots it will be seen from our Table that 142 species
are known as belonging to the Neotropical Region, and that only ten of
these have been met with within our limits. Of these ten, moreover,
several are either doubtful, or only occur on the northern outskirts of
Argentina, so that Parrots must be held to be deficient in the Argentine
Ornis. As is well known Parrots are mostly inhabitants of the Tropics,
and it is quite an exception to the rule that several of these
warmth-loving birds should extend into the cold latitudes of Patagonia
and Chili. This, however, is paralleled in the Old World by the
existence of Parrots in some of the Antarctic Islands south of New
Zealand.
Of the Birds of Prey of the Argentine Republic, Diurnal and Nocturnal,
it is not necessary to say much; both of these orders are rather in
excess as regards the average number of species, the Accipitres
especially so. The wide open pampas offer a fine field for Kites and
Buzzards and their kind, and they are as numerous in individuals as in
species in such favoured haunts.
In the next order, Steganopodes, the Argentine Ornis seems to be very
deficient. Out of the five families of this group which occur in the
Neotropical Region, one only is yet known to us to be represented in the
Argentine Ornis, and that by a single species. But when the sea-birds of
the Argentine coast-land come to be better known, there is no doubt that
several additions will be made to the list.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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